Pneumatic tires are often mounted on a wheel having a one-piece rim. Mounting or demounting a pneumatic tire on a one-piece rim requires significant effort, as the outer diameter of the rim's flange is larger than the inner diameter of the tire's bead. As a result, the tire and its bead must be deformed and stretched over the flange.
Further, following the mounting of a tire on a one-piece rim, the bead of the tire must be forced into contact with the bead seat portions of the rim. This process is commonly referred to as “bead seating.” Many installers apply high air pressure within the tire for bead seating, in an attempt to force the tire's beads into the bead seat portions of the rim.
Rubber tires often have high coefficients of friction. Accordingly, the tire mounting/demounting and bead seating processes require significant forces to overcome the friction between the rubber tire and the rim.
An improved system is needed for reducing friction between a pneumatic tire and a rim during the mounting/demounting and bead seating processes.